The Alpha's Call Book 4

LYLA

The silver dagger pierced my armor as I dove in front of the Moon Goddess, shielding her from harm.

The blade didn’t connect with my skin, but even being in close proximity to the silver stung. It was the deadliest substance known to our kind: even more lethal than Wolfsbane.

I grabbed the would-be assassin, and we tumbled down the stairs as I tried to wrestle the dagger from his hands.

He screamed and flailed like a madman.

“SHE MUST DIE! I HAVE TO COMPLETE MY MISSION!”

I grabbed his wrist and slammed it on the ground over and over, but he wouldn’t let go of his weapon.

“No, no, no! I can’t fail!” he muttered. Suddenly, he bucked me off with his legs and began racing down the corridor.

“Stop!” I shouted, jumping to my feet and pursuing him.

Even if I was about to be stripped of my Moon Guardian title, I’d make my last seconds count.

He bounded down the halls at breakneck speed but was no match for me. He looked sickly and malnourished, while I had just finished an excessive amount of training.

As I tackled him, his dagger skidded across the floor. I held his hands behind his back and hoisted him up.

“Who the hell are you?” I growled.

When I turned him around and stared into his fearful eyes, I saw recognition. “It’s y-you…” he stammered.

The recognition quickly became my own. I knew this man…

The scraggly beard hid his face, but I remembered those fearful eyes.

***

“Stay back!” the thief yelled.”

He stumbled backward, accidentally tripping over some trash. The sack in his arms fell to the ground and spilled open, several potatoes rolling to my feet.

“You…you stole potatoes?” I asked as he looked at me with desperation.

“They’re for my family,” he whispered. “They’re starving.”

My heart broke for the man. He looked ragged, with dirt smeared into his face and hair. I didn’t get the sense that he was lying to me, either. The despair in his eyes couldn’t be faked.

“You’re a half-breed, aren’t you?” I asked.

He nodded, but he wouldn’t look at me. Almost like he was ashamed of what he was.

Again, the effects of prejudice on half-breeds here were obvious. This man couldn’t even feed his family. Why the hell wasn’t anyone doing anything about this?

“Go,” I said.

Tears spilled over, clearing some of the grime from his cheeks.

“Oh, thank you. Thank you,” he said.

“Hurry, before—”

“Before what, girl?” Mercer sneered from behind me.

***

My heart sank as I stared at the half-breed—the same one whom I let get arrested in the marketplace when I first became a Moon Guardian.

His screams still echoed in my ears.

“Please, don’t let them take me! I just want to feed my family! Please!”

“Please…” he murmured, but this time it wasn’t an echo.

“Why did you attack the Moon Goddess?” I asked, my growl softening. I wanted to understand what had gotten him to this place.

“I… I had to do it…” he said, his gaze growing dark.

“Why?” I asked, confused. “Shouldn’t you be in prison?”

He looked like he was almost too scared to answer. “They’ll hurt my family…” he said, tears welling up in his eyes.

“Who?” I asked, urgently.

He hesitated but finally gathered the courage to speak. “It was—”

SPLAT!

My eyes widened in horror as the man’s blood sprayed across my face.

There was a sword sticking through his head. Someone pulled the blade out, and his lifeless body fell to the floor like a curtain, to reveal…

Mercer.

“This filth deserved death,” he snarled, wiping the blade as several Moon Guardians ran up behind him.

I was so shocked; I could barely speak. “He was…we didn’t even get a chance to…to question him.”

“We don’t need to question him,” Mercer sneered. “He was a half-breed. His motive was clear as day.”

***

The court of the Moon Goddess was in chaos. All the church officials were gathered to discuss the assassination attempt.

An hour ago, I was being court-martialed; now, I was at the center of an assassination plot.

I didn’t know if I’d still be stripped of my title, but for now there were more important matters at hand.

“It’s the filthy half-breeds,” Mercer shouted, riling up the court. “They’re rising up and trying to overthrow us.” Many murmured in agreement.

“Surely that’s a stretch,” a bishop responded. “It was an isolated incident. Claims like that could incite an all-out war in the Holy City.”

“Maybe a war is what’s needed to eradicate the vermin infesting this city,” Mercer growled.

“The half-breeds are a functioning part of our society,” a nun chimed in. “If we remove them without a proper plan in place, everything will fall apart.”

Even if her reasoning was a bit twisted, at least some people were pushing back against Mercer.

The Moon Goddess remained tellingly silent during this discussion.

Does she even care what’s going on?

“The half-breeds are ungrateful for what we’ve given them,” Mercer spat. “We’ve been too lenient on them. The laws are too lenient.”

My stomach clenched as I saw many of the clergy nodding their heads.

“This assassination attempt is proof of the half-breeds’ degenerate behavior!” he shouted. “I propose that we institute harsher laws to keep the half-breeds in check and ensure that something like this doesn’t happen again. We must take the necessary steps to keep our Goddess safe!”

“Here, here!” several people responded from the crowd.

Oh no.

This was bad.

My thoughts immediately went to Caspian and Adele.

The Holy City had already been an unsympathetic environment for their new relationship…

And it was only going to get worse.

“We must act NOW! With great haste and an iron fist!” Mercer shouted, addressing the Church officials.

There were rumbles of agreement throughout the chamber. Mercer smirked with satisfaction.

This couldn’t have gone better for that bastard.

“Lyla.” The Moon Goddess’s sharp voice sliced through the chatter, and everyone grew silent.

Even Mercer looked startled that she had finally decided to speak.

“You saved my life today,” she said stoically. “And for that I thank you.”

“Of…of course,” I stammered.

“You may have embarrassed me at the eclipse, but today you have redeemed yourself. You will stay on with the Moon Guard…”

Mercer’s face instantly grew sour.

“But not in your current position…” she added, making me tense up.

“…You’ll be joining my personal guard.”

My mouth dropped open, and so did Mercer’s.

“In these turbulent times, I need someone by my side who I can trust,” she said.

“I…I won’t let you down. It’s my duty to serve,” I replied mechanically.

Truthfully, it felt like it would be impossible not to let her down, given my track record.

“Let’s hope that proves to be the case…” she said stiffly.

“…You have one last chance.”

***

A couple hours ago, I thought I was going to get fired—or worse, exiled—from the city.

But now, I was polished up, promoted, and arriving for duty as one of the Moon Goddess’s elite, personal guards.

This place was constantly giving me whiplash, but when I saw who was standing outside the Goddess’s chambers, I knew I was in for some more.

“Lyla!” Achilles shouted, grinning as I approached him. “Heard about your heroics. One minute you’re committing sacrilegious acts, and the next you’re acting as the Goddess’s human shield. You’re always full of surprises.”

“That’s me,” I said sarcastically, letting out a sigh. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m the head of the Goddess’s personal guard. Or did you forget?” he asked cockily.

Great… this means we're basically partners.

“Must’ve slipped my mind,” I replied, cursing my luck.

“Don’t worry, I won’t get in your way this time. I’ll let you take the lead,” Achilles said, reading my cynical expression. “In fact, I’ll do whatever you ask.”

There was a hint of flirtation in his tone that I decided to ignore, though I had to admit that I liked this version of Achilles much better than the one who had constantly tried to sabotage me in the contests.

Our dynamic had shifted when I saved his life in the maze; I’d seen then there was actually some good in him.

Hopefully he doesn’t do anything to screw that up.

“Who would’ve thought that the two of us would be working side by side?” he asked, swinging his arm over my shoulder.

“Definitely not me,” I replied, pushing it off.

“This is exciting, though… protecting the Moon Goddess,” Achilles said. “Only the most privileged Moon Guardians are chosen for that task.”

“What’s so exciting about standing outside a closed door all day?” I asked, rolling my eyes.

It seemed I had spoken too soon because that door suddenly opened, and I found myself standing face-to-face with the Moon Goddess.

“Your Holiness!” Achilles shouted, quickly bowing to her.

I did the same, but when I lifted my head and looked into her eyes, I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach.

She stared at me with a cold, unfeeling expression.

I knew I’d not only be forced to protect the Moon Goddess, but her values and beliefs, too.

Many of which I didn’t agree with…

I hardened my heart as I forced a smile. “Your Holiness…”

Can I really put aside what I believe in, to keep her favor?

Like she said at my court martial…

This is my last chance.